Gaiter for suspension springs



May 2l, 1929. c, R. LITTLE GAITER FOR SUSPENSION SPRINGS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 18, 1925 May 21, 1929. Q R LITTLE 1,713,611

GAITER FOR SUSPENSION SPRINGS Filed April 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NvEm-oe; Ames R Ln'TLE Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES CHARLES BNDALL LITTLE,

OF COVENTRY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HERBERT LORD,

OF EABLSDON, ENGLAND.

GAITER FOR SUSPENSION SPRINGS.

Application led April 18, 1925, Serial No. 24,191, and in Great Britain April 28, 1924.

This invention relates to gaiters for suspension springs and shackles, and it has for its object to provide a neat and easy fitting device which .will be of a durable nature adapted effectively to protect the spring from dirt and moisture and to provide for its `thorough lubrication.

According to this invention, the gaiter is formed as a jointless sleeve of material such as rubber (or rubber which is wholly or partly reinforced by fabric) which lits closely on to and is carried solely by the spring.

The sleeve can be drawn lengthwise on to the spring, and its end parts are adapted to be secured pressure-tight to the spring. Thus an elastic sleeve of this kind is adapted to contain lubricant under pressure between its walls and the spring, with the advantage that during the working of the spring under load lubricant is continually being forced in between theleaves, whereas as usually arranged, such lubricant as is placed between the springs on assembly is continually being squeezed out.

A sleeve of this kind can be fitted to any spring, and among other advantages it supports the spring and tends to damp any excess movement thereof.

. In the accompany/in drawings, which illustrate various metho s of carrying out the invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spring (which might be either a cantilever or art of a semi-elliptic spring) showing one orm of thegaiter in position and in longitudinal section.

Figure 2 is a sect-ion on the line II, II of Fi ure 1. f f l h yireiisa. ra enta viewo asi tly mgdlied construgcltion oivthat shown atg the ri ht hand end of Figure 1.

igure 4 is a cross section on the line IV, IV i of Figure 3. Figures 5 and 6 are alternative forms of Stoppers for the lubrication aperturesin the gaiter.

Figure 7 is a, section of an auxiliary gaiter em loyed to enclose the spring shackle.

igure 8 shows a modified construction of 4the left hand end of the gaiter shown in Figure 1.

Figure 9I is a sectional view of a gaiter and spring having longitudinal divisions in the enclosed fabric.

view. showing modified channels.

Figure 16 is a top phantom view showing the lubricant channels.

Figure 17 is a sectional elevation showing a, side lubricant channel. In apreferredA method of carrying out the invention, the gaiter is a seamless sleeve 1 of rubber reinforced with fabric in such a manneras to allow a certain amount of elasticity in lits walls to accommodate itself within limits to springs 2 of different sizes. Such elasticity may be obtained by the provision of longitudinal corrugations in the fabric or by one or more longitudinal divisions in the fabric.

The ends of the sleeve are preferably provided with fianges 3 by means of which, in ceri tain cases, they can be clipped, bound, or bolted to suitable parts, either existing or provided for the purpose, so as to render the ends of the gaiter fluid-tight.

Preferably, however, provided at each end, andbetween them is located c ontractile means, such as a strap, metal clip, tightly round several times to cause the gaiter to grip the spring pressure-tight.

To assist in making this ressure-tight connection, a channel 4 may be formed around the interior of the gaiter at theposition between the fianges 3, and in'this may be located absorbent material, such as felt. Al-

ternatively, instead of the groove, the sides of the gaiter may be so shaped as to agree with the scalloped contour of the spring arising from the rounding of the edges of its several leaves. Thus when the gaiter is compressed at this position around vthe spring,-a good pressure-tight joint results. This is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the latter showing a rib 5 scalloped at the sides where it bears on a pair of flanges 3 is',

or a band of adhesive tape wound .ment 16 to enclose the clip).

the rounded edges of the leaves. rlhis rib may be integral With, or separate :trom the body of the gaiter, in the :term of a ribbed sleeve.

An aperture 6, or apertures, may be provided along the upper side of the gaiter for introduction of lubricant therein. Preferably the aperture is provided With a neck 7 having a tlange 8 at its end which can be engaged by a resilient closure cap 9 having a lip 10 to engage the iiange. If pressure supply of 'lubricant is not desired an air vent may be provided in each cap.

Alternative closure devices may be in the form oi' Stoppers 11 and 12 (Figures 5 and 6), formed of rubber, Wood, or other material, with enlargements 13 at their inner ends forming a sealing device against internal pressure and seating. on rounded edges 14 at the imierends of the apertures 6.

The Wall of the gaiter may have a channel formed in the inner side of the upper part, so that when the latter is in contact with the upper leaf of the spring a conduitis prolubricant is introduced. Also, Where thev sprin is provided with a clip such as 15, or clips intermediate of its ends, the gaiter may be reinforced Where it engages, or, as shown in Figure 1, it may have a suitable enlarge- ,A gaiter as above descri ed can readily be applied to the spring as it is only necessary to disconnect the shac lepin at the end thereof and to draw the gaiter longitudinally along the sprin and to attach its ends in the manner above escribed. Obviously the securing devices at the end could be modified in various Ways as to their form and manner of fixing provided they were adapted effectively to prevent lose of lubricant or entry of dirt Ior moisture. v

A suitable provision could be made in the gaiter, or an auxiliary part, for enclosing the shackle pin or pins also. For example, as .shown in Figure 7, where the spring 2 connects with the shackle 16 an auxiliary gaiter 17 is provided, one end 18 of which engages the spring 2, while the other end 19 engages the bracket 20 to which the shackle is attached. The other end 19 of the auxiliary gaiter may be provided with flanges 3 so that 1t may be clipped ressure-tight to the bracket, as described or the ends of the main gaiter.

To provide a more eective distribution of lthe lubricant to the several leaves of the tending down to about the middle of the' latter, the upper part of this V-shape being Widest. Thus .lubricant is chieiiy retained at the upper part of the gaiter so that the upper leaves receive the full share of lubricant. As an alternative to this, the sides of the gaiter may be subsintially parallel with the sides of the spring, having, for example, about one thirty-second of an inch clearance therefrom. Such clearance, considerably exaggerated for clearness, is shown at 21 in Figure 2.

A further alternative eonstructionjs shown in Figure 8, in which, to provide longitudinal freedom of the gaiter between the ends which are anchored securely, a transverse fold 22 or corrugation is provided at one or more places in the gaiter, for` example, at the end near to Athe shackle. 'Thus when, through exure of the spring under load, there would otherwise be a tendency of the ends of the gaiter to slip slightly along the spring, the fold or corrugation Will yield and prevent any strain upon the pressure-tight ends.

In the modification shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the gaiter is provided with fabric embedded in the rubber material. ln Fig. 9, this fabric is shown at 23 having longitudinal divisions therein. Fig. 10 shows the fabric as having corrugations 24;. Both of these forms tend to increase the flexibility of the device.

In Fig. 11, a strap 25 is held between ribs 3, in Fig. 12, a metal clip 26 is similarly located and in Fig. 13, several convolutions of adhesive tape 27 is provided for the purpose of assisting in retaining the device in place.

tree type.

A channel 30 and groove 31 as shown in Figs. 15 and 17 allows the lubricant to flow from top to bottom of the device.

The lubricant employed is preferably one which has no injurious action upon rubber.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides a very simple and relatively inexpensive kind of gaiter and one that is easy to iit, etiicient in use, and capable of rolonged service Without deterioration.

t hasypreviously been roposed to forni a gaiter of sheetmetal ci) rectangular section which Was su ported solely b the sprin but obviously suc a gaiter cou d not ben with the spring, Whereas the gaiter which is Fig. 16 shovvs this channel 28 to be of a ice the Subj ect of the present invention is fiexible to the highest-degree and in no way affects the bending of the spring.

Other gaiters have also been proposed formed of seamless flexible material, but in neither case were they supported wholly by the spring, as their ends engaged with and were supported by casings which enclosed the shackle pins. Such gaiters could not be assembled on the spring prior to fitting to the vehicle.

l What I claim as my invention and desire to secureby Letters'Patent of the United States is 1. A flexible gaiter for parts to be lubricated formed as a jointless sleeve of rubber.

spring thel ends` of the gaiter being attached v to the parts to be lubricated.

3. A flexible gaiter as claimed in claim 1, in which the end parts thereof are adapted to be secured pressure-tight to the parts to be lubricated, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. A flexible gaiter as claimed in claim -1, providedV with an integrally formed lubrication device, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. A flexible gaiter as claimed in claim 1,

provided with an integrall formed hollow neck for the introduction o lubricant adapted to be sealed by a pressure resisting detachable stopper or ca substantially as and for the purpose descrl ed.

6. A flexible gaiter as claimed in claim 1,

the wall of which is channelled to enable lubricant to be distributed from the filling aperture throughout its length, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. A flexible spring covering comprising a substantially frusto-conical element of less diameterthan the diameter at a similar point of the spring to which it is to be applied.

8. A spring covering comprising a substantially frusto-conical elastic element and reinforcing peripheral ribs at each end thereof.

9. A lubricant holder comprising an elastic `casin conforming substantially to. the outline 0% the part to be lubricated, and having a reinforcing rib at one end thereof to prevent the escape .of lubricant therefrom.

10. A lubricant holder comprising an elastic casing having open ends, throu h which the ends of the parts to be lubricate project, and means surrounding the open ends of said casing tending to grip the parts to be lubricated to a greater degree than the main portion of the casing, whereby escape of the lubricant out of the ends of the casing is prevented.

11. A lubricant holder comprising an elas? spring and is adapted to contain ubricant under pressure. v

`In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication.

CHARLES RANDALL LITTLE. 

